Ron Dean Movies
Christopher Nolan steps back into the director's chair for this sequel to Batman Begins, which finds the titular superhero coming face to face with his greatest nemesis -- the dreaded Joker. Christian Bale returns to the role of Batman, Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over the role of Rachel Dawes (played by Katie Holmes in Batman Begins), and Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger dons the ghoulishly gleeful Joker makeup previously worn by Jack Nicholson and Cesar Romero. Just as it begins to appear as if Batman, Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman), and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) are making headway in their tireless battle against the criminal element, a maniacal, wisecracking fiend plunges the streets of Gotham City into complete chaos. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, (more)
A decorated Coast Guard search and rescue specialist still haunted by the death of his teammates during a disastrous mission off the coast of Alaska is charged with the task of training the next generation of Coast Guard rescue swimmers in director Andrew Davis' ocean-bound adventure drama. Ben Randall (Kevin Costner) was the best swimmer of his graduating class, but upon surfacing as the sole survivor of an Alaskan rescue mission attempted during a Category Three storm, his outlook on life has grown increasingly jaded. Now, as hotshot young swimmer Jake Fischer (Ashton Kutcher) arrives at Coast Guard rescue school looking to accomplish something meaningful with his life, he will be forced to endure the rigorous training methods of a man who expects nothing less than the very best in order to become a member of one of the most elite rescue squads on the planet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, (more)
In this crime thriller, Jennifer (Hillary Tuck) is the beautiful but unfaithful wife of a wealthy and powerful man and has been cheating on her husband with a ruthless mobster. Meanwhile, a band of four thieves (Ron Dean, Timothy Patrick Klein, Jim Petersmith, and Mik Scriba) have been given a job that's a bit out of their league. Before long, they find themselves crossing paths with Jennifer, leading all parties concerned into a deadly web of uneasy alliances and outright betrayals. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Dean, Mik Scriba, (more)
- 1998
This ER episode eschews the usual "multiple-subplot" format to focus on a single plot line involving little Corinna (Nicolette Little), a seven-year-old victim of a car accident. Inasmuch as the girl has an extremely rare blood type, it is necessary to locate her missing father -- a task that falls to Carter (Noah Wyle) and Lucy (Kellie Martin), who embark upon an odyssey through Chicago that takes them from Wrigley Field to a forbidding back alley. As time runs out for Corinna, Benton (Eriq La Salle) is forced into an unorthodox surgical procedure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Missing the good old days of Boston when he and his friends gathered at a certain watering hole called "Cheers", Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) seeks out a similar Seattle bar "where everybody knows your name." He settles upon an English-style pub called the Fox and Whistle, which in many ways (except for the accents and decor) is quite similar to his favorite Beantown haunt. The more Frasier feels at home with his new drinking buddies, the more annoyed Daphne (Jane Leeves) becomes -- it seems that the Fox and Whistle is her favorite bar as well, and she feels that Frasier is muscling in on her "territory." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Four lifelong friends struggle to make the uncomfortable leap from adolescence to adulthood in this independent comedy-drama. Jimmy (Gabriel Olds) lives in the same Midwestern town where he was born; while Jimmy has always been bright, he's never had much use for academics, but his post-high-school career as a roofer is starting to make him wonder if college is such a bad idea. His best friend Trevor (Alan Tudyk) is busy with his romantic problems, owing to a frustrating relationship with a beautiful but flighty Amy (Kellie Overbey), a waitress who enjoys telling strangers about her sex life. Madeline (Jennifer Crystal) comes home from her first year at college looking for a summer job, and finds one; unfortunately, it's cleaning and painting the city's municipal swimming pool. And Jimmy and his pal Reid (G. Riley Mills) find their roofing jobs are threatened by a strike at the factory that provides most of the town's jobs. When Jimmy is forced out of the roofing business, he finds himself taking work as a scab laborer at the plant, which has unexpected -- and unpleasant -- consequences. 35 Miles From Normal had its world premiere at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Just as the university research team is about to prove that their new technique will permit water to be used as a fuel, their laboratory is sabotaged and the lab manager is killed. Eddie Kasalivich (Keanu Reeves) stumbles onto the scene and manages not only to witness the sabotage, but to escape from it. When he tries to talk about it to authorities, he discovers that they think he and the other project survivors committed the crime. In reality, a group of energy companies have conspired with interested parties in the government to completely erase all notion of the existence of a way to use water as fuel. The project sponsor (Morgan Freeman) wants Eddie to turn himself in, but before he can do that, he must find enough evidence to clear himself and his friends. But in order to succeed, Eddie must avoid assassination attempts by the real perpetrators. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman, (more)
An ordinary woman is driven to the point of violent revenge in this tense thriller. Karen McCann (Sally Field) is a suburban wife and working mother with two daughters. Karen's life is turned upside down when her 17-year-old daughter is raped and murdered, a crime she overhears on her cellular phone. Sgt. Denillo (Joe Mantegna), a bright and resourceful police detective, soon tracks down the culprit, an especially sleazy criminal named Robert Doob (Kiefer Sutherland). However, due to a minor technicality, Doob escapes conviction, even though he's clearly guilty. Karen's husband Mack (Ed Harris) suppresses his grief and tries to go on with his life, but Karen doesn't find this quite so easy; she joins a support group for parents of murdered children, and she discovers that within the group is an underground society that seeks vigilante justice against killers who've slipped through the net of the judicial system. Karen buys a gun, learns how to use it, and begins training in martial arts. She starts keeping tabs on Doob, and learns that he not only intends to kill again, he's targeting her younger daughter. Beverly D'Angelo co-stars as Karen's best friend Dolly, and Philip Baker Hall plays Sidney Hughes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally Field, Kiefer Sutherland, (more)
- 1995
The CEO of a brokerage firm currently under Federal investigation suddenly disappears. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) becomes involved in the situation when the last call made by the missing executive is traced to her phone. A dogged Federal prosecutor demands that Jessica face the grand jury investigating the matter--and then charges her with contempt when she speaks to a witness who later turns up dead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This Swedish comedy is a sequel to the 1992 international hit movie, House of Angels. It continues the story of Fanny and Zak, a formerly down and out couple that finds wealth when Fanny inherits a large house from her grandfather who lived in a small, unfriendly village. Fanny, whose father is unknown, eventually charmed the whole town with two old men, Ivar and Axel, gladly coming forth to claim her paternity. Now, it is one year later and Fanny and Zak have just returned from a world-tour. Unfortunately, while she was gone, her house burned down. Ivar who won a lottery, takes his brother Gottfrid and the returned couple with him to New York where he will visit his other brother, Sven. While the foursome grows accustomed to New York, the villagers continue to ponder the true identity of Fanny's father. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Ex-cop Martin (John Mahoney) has but one profound regret in life: that he was never able to solve the "Weeping Lotus Murder," a baffling case involving a cop, a hooker, and a monkey. Now, after several decades, the case in on the verge of being solved -- not by Martin, who has obsessed over the murder for lo these many years, but by his son, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer). So as not to break his father's heart, Frasier arranges the existing evidence so that Martin will "accidentally" discover it. Only one problem: Frasier and Martin may not have arrived at the same solution. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Andrew Davis followed up the action blockbuster The Fugitive (1993) with this Capra-esque box office dud that nevertheless featured engaging dual performances by Andy Garcia. Garcia stars as Ruben and Robby, twin brothers who were raised separately and have become total opposites. Ruben has recently inherited a 40,000-acre Santa Barbara estate from his eccentric guardian, Mona (Holland Taylor). A friend to artisans and migrant workers, Ruben wants to transform the land into a commune, while the cold-hearted Robby wants to steal it from his brother, develop it and make millions. Muddying the waters are Lou (Alan Arkin), a quick-thinking ex-cop and pal of Ruben's who is able to manipulate the law to his own purposes, Eddie (Joe Pantoliano), a shark lawyer who plays both sides against the middle, and Ruben's ex-wife Laura (Rachel Ticotin). When each brother masquerades as the other for a time, however, some insights are gained by both. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Alan Arkin, (more)
- 1994
Plucky Daphne (Jane Leeves) has no qualms about going out on a date with ex-convict Jimmy (Tony Abatemarco). Her devil-may-care attitude is not shared by Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce), who vow to protect Daphne's honor if necessary. The fact that Frasier had not earlier been able to differentiate between the ex-con and an ex-cop does not diminish his diligence in "protecting" Daphne; and, of course, Niles' interest in the matter goes far beyond mere friendship. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A young man learns to let nothing stop him from realizing his ambitions in this drama, based on a true story. Ever since he was a little boy, Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) has dreamed of attending Notre Dame University, and playing on the Fighting Irish football team. However, Rudy's dream doesn't seem very practical; Daniel (Ned Beatty), his father, works in a steel mill and can ill afford to send his son to Notre Dame, while Rudy's grades are not especially impressive, and standing a shade over five feet tall and weighing a little over 100 pounds, Rudy is hardly built for the gridiron. However, with the help of Father Cavanaugh (Robert Prosky), a sympathetic priest, Rudy is admitted to nearby Holy Cross, and in his junior year manages to squeak into Notre Dame as a transfer student. Rudy works as an assistant to the football stadium's groundskeeper, Fortune (Charles S. Dutton), to pay his tuition (often sleeping in Fortune's office since he can't afford a room), studies diligently, and appears at tryouts for the football team. Rudy is made a member of the practice team, which means he's little more than a human tackling dummy, but Coach Ara Parseghian (Jason Miller) is impressed with Rudy's devotion and determination, and pledges that he'll allow him to dress for one game before he graduates, so his name can be recorded as an official member of the team. However, the arrival of a new coach and a tough season that allows for few unnecessary players may put a stop to Rudy's dreams within sight of the finish line. Rudy also stars Jon Favreau, Lili Taylor, and Scott Benjaminson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Astin, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1994
It's an evening of togetherness as Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Sylvia Costas (Sharon Lawrence) move in together, and Donna Abandando's sister Dana (future Will & Grace star Debra Messing) moves in with Donna (Gail O'Grady) and Greg Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) -- whereupon Dana starts putting her on moves on Greg. In other developments, Simone (Jimmy Smits) has trouble believing the confession of his friend's son (Adam Hann-Byrd) regarding a school shooting. And while Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) and Lesniak (Justine Miceli) prepare to file charges against a man who knowingly transmitted HIV to his girlfriends, one of the man's victims grimly prepares her own brand of justice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A sterling cast headed by Oscar-nominated Susan Sarandon makes this slick thriller one of the better adaptations of a John Grisham bestseller. Mark Sway (Brad Renfro) witnesses the suicide of a Mafia lawyer, who confesses that the Mob was behind the murder of a U.S. senator. Mark's brother is traumatized into a coma by the incident; gangster Barry Muldano (Anthony LaPaglia) is soon on Mark's trail, and in desperation, he arrives at the office of recovering alcoholic lawyer Reggie Love (Sarandon). With the Mob after them, and a ruthless federal attorney (Tommy Lee Jones) trying to force Mark to reveal what he knows, Love battles to guarantee the safety of her client and his family. The relationship between Reggie Love and Mark Sway is the center of the film, adding considerable character development to plot's routine elements. Director Joel Schumacher helmed another Grisham adaptation, A Time To Kill, in 1996. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, (more)
This 1993 box-office smash partly adheres to the 1960s TV series on which it is based and partly goes off on several tangents of its own. Harrison Ford stars as Dr. Richard Kimble, convicted of murdering his wife. While being transferred to prison by bus, Kimble is involved in a spectacular bus-train collision (one of the best of its kind ever filmed). Surviving the disaster, Kimble escapes, vowing to track down the elusive professional criminal whom he holds responsible for the murder. Dogging the fugitive every foot of the way is U.S. marshal Sam Gerard (an Oscar-winning turn by Tommy Lee Jones), who announces his intention to search "every whorehouse, doghouse, and outhouse" to bring Kimble to justice. Unlike his dour TV-series counterpart Barry Morse, Jones plays the role with a sardonic sense of humor: when a cornered Kimble screams, "I didn't kill my wife," Gerard shrugs and famously replies, "I don't care." Once the premise has been established, scripters Jeb Stuart and David Twohy and director Andrew Davis pull off several audacious plot twists, ranging from Kimble's rendezvous with a sympathetic lab technician to a jaw-dropping dive into a huge waterfall. The second half of the film offers one surprise after another (including the true identity of the murderer), brilliantly avoiding the letdown that plagues many movie adaptations of old TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, (more)
- 1992
- PG
In this detective drama a mismatched pair of lady gumshoes are forced to team up to survive and solve cases in the uncaring city. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Givens, Pam Gidley, (more)
John Goodman is cast as the Sultan of Swat, whose excesses -- especially drinking -- and private demons can (in this context) be excused in view of his genuine love of baseball. The facts never get in the way of a good story for screenwriter John Fusco; we're even offered the umpteenth rehash of "Little Johnny", the largely fanciful tale of the invalid boy who promises to get well if Babe hits him a homer (as in Pride of the Yankees, the cured Johnny makes return a appearance as grownup). The most amusing fabrication is the casting of narrow James Cromwell as the Babe's orphanage mentor Brother Mathias, who in real life weighed 300 pounds. Many of the characters are composites, notably Bruce Boxleitner's Jumpin' Joe Dugan. At least Ruth's two wives--Trini Alvarado as Helen, who suffers Babe's many peccadilloes and dies under strange circumstances, and Kelly McGillis as Claire, who keeps Babe on a very short leash-are depicted with a modicum of accuracy. The baseball sequences are well handled (though there could have been less slo-mo) while Elmer Bernstein's charmingly old-fashioned musical score is right in tune with the film's approach to its subject. The Babe is rated PG; had this been the whole truth and nothing but, and R rating would probably have been in order. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Kelly McGillis, (more)
- 1992
Michael Ontkean stars as Zack Resnick, an honest Chicago cop drawn into a political assassination who discovers some shocking information about himself and his family. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- PG13
Shaking the Tree is an ensemble dramedy about four male friends living in Chicago, pushing 30, who help each other through a series of crises. Barry (Arye Gross) is a real estate salesman and a huge White Sox fan who's nervous about his impending wedding to Michelle (Christina Haag). When he presses her about her sexual past, he finds out she once slept with one of his pals. Duke (Steven Wilde, who co-wrote the script with director Duane B. Clark) was forced to give up boxing due to an injury, and is unhappy with his life as a womanizing bartender. Sully (Gale Hansen) comes from a wealthy family. He is also a womanizer, and his gambling problem is spiraling out of control. When he loses ten grand to some shady characters, his family refuses to bail him out. Michael (Doug Savant of Melrose Place) is a college professor with a massively pregnant wife, Kathleen (Courteney Cox), and his fear of becoming a father leads him to consider an affair with a seductive student, Brigette (played by actor Gale Hansen's wife, Brittney Hansen). After Cox became a success on television with Friends, the film was re-released on video with the photo on the box changed to feature the actress prominently, although she plays a supporting role in the film. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arye Gross, Gale Hansen, (more)
- 1989
- R
When a washed-up boxer (Roger Daltrey) invites a British priest (Dennis Waterman) to minister in his South Chicago neighborhood, he never suspects that the priest is not who he says he is. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
The Package, a thriller involving political assassination and intrigue, is an excellent action feature using a familiar theme and providing good performances by the cast. Boyette (Tommy Lee Jones) is a prisoner entrusted to Gallagher (Gene Hackman) for transportation back to the United States. Boyette escapes and Gallagher must find him. In doing so, Gallagher finds himself getting into far more than he had bargained for as he becomes involved in a political assignation plot that he must stop. Both Hackman and Jones are excellent in reprising familiar roles. Hackman is never better than when portraying the decent man in a precarious position, and Jones plays Boyette with the same cunning and intelligence that he brought to The Executioner's Song. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Hackman, Joanna Cassidy, (more)
Tom Cruise juggles Martini shakers and ice cubes as the materialistic Brian Flanagan, a bartender who drops out of school to search for the perfect "rich chick" who will bankroll him into luxury. Brian meets up with bar veteran Doug Couglin (Bryan Brown) and they put together a dance-duo bar-tending act, taking five minutes to a mix a drink as they dance and toss gin bottles behind the bar to cutting-edge rock music circa 1988. The patrons, instead of demanding the booze, are dazzled by their antics and cheer them on. As a result, the bartenders become wildly popular -- in particular, Brian, who finds the bar babes falling all over each other to hop into the sack with him. As a result of their bar-tending success, they get hired to tend bar at a swanky disco, but there Brian and Doug have a falling out, and Brian takes off for Jamaica. There he meets vacationing New York City waitress Jordan Mooney (Elisabeth Shue) and the two fall in love. But then Brian meets rich New York fashion executive Bonnie (Lisa Banes) who wants to take Brian back to Manhattan with her to become her drink-mixing stud. When Jordan sees this, the love affair is put on hold. But not for long, as pangs of consciousness begin to filter through Brian's drunken haze. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown, (more)
Martial arts hero Steven Seagal developed, co-wrote, co-produced, choreographed, and debuted in this thrill ride -- a cop film with more attitude, and more plot, than its star had duties on the set. Seagal is Nico Toscani, an Italian immigrant, American patriot, ex-CIA agent, aikido specialist, and unorthodox Chicago policeman. He is as committed to his job as he is to his personalized brand of justice: expert and thorough bone-crushing. When the FBI orders his squad to ignore the mysterious shipment of military explosives they seized from a notorious narcotics dealer, Nico defiantly pursues his own investigation. With the help of his partner Jax (Pam Grier), he sifts through a tangled web of Catholic priests, illegal immigrants, and trained assassins to uncover a drug cartel run directly out of the CIA by an official named Zagon Henry Silva. Nico remembers the man from his CIA days in Vietnam, when Zagon used the agency (and the war) as a front for smuggling opium. At the time, Nico was too outranked to thwart him, but he will no longer let Zagon abuse his position to remain immune from prosecution -- especially now that the official has plans to murder a U.S. senator. Zagon may be above the law of most men, but he is certainly not above Nico's. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Seagal, Pam Grier, (more)
